The Cooperstown boys and girls track teams will be hard-pressed to repeat their first place performances at last Saturday's CV-S Invitational when they host the 11th annual Cooperstown Invitational this Saturday at 2 p.m.

Area track and field powers Oneonta and Sidney will compete in Cooperstown on Saturday, and Cooperstown boys track coach Don Howard said his team will be hard-pressed to finish third. And that's just the way he likes it.

"Our invitational has always been about bringing together the best track and field athletes in the area and letting them compete," Howard said. "It's great for the smaller schools because they get to run against the best in the area and see how they measure up. It's great for the fans because get to see the best athletes all in one place."

CCS girls coach Connie Herzig said Sidney is the team on the girls side as well.

"We have a very strong field with Sidney the clear favorite," Herzig said. "We'll need strong performances from everyone if we're going to compete with Oneonta and Unatego for second, third and fourth."

Herzig said the invitational is a perfect time for athletes to start pushing themselves toward personal best times.

"It's a good time to start trying to break that barrier," Herzig said. "We have two girls (Elise Wilhem and Marty Reckeweg) who are within 10 feet of the school record in the discus, and Stephanie Smith could set school records in the high jump and pole vault."

Herzig said the high jump and the 400, with Cherry Valley-Springfield's Holly Meehan, Oneonta's Toni McDaniel and Cooperstown's Anne Kennedy and Stephanie Smith, would also be a very competitive race. "The high jump should be a great event as well," Herzig said.

On the boys side, Milford's Ben Cotter, who won three events at last weekend's Cherry Valley-Springfield Invitational, will meet Sidney sprinters Tom Mirabito and Josh Dumond in the 100 and 200 this Saturday.

"There are usually some high caliber performances at the Cooperstown Invitational because of the high level of competition," Milford track coach Dave Prouty said. "We look for more individual goals like school records than team goals."

"We have a chance to see some great stuff," Howard said. "If the weather holds up we could really have some unbelievably competitive races."

Cooperstown's Steve Carlson and Milford's Patrick Kelly will continue to duel in the 800 and 1,600. Carlson beat Kelly in both races the first time they met this year, but Kelly edged Carlson in both events at the CV-S Invitational on Saturday.

CV-S track coach Jordan Jaquay said he may enter his best runner, Clayton Strange, in the 800, and Oneonta's Tim Catella, probably the best distance runner in the area, will also be added to the mix.

"As far as who the favorite is to win the meet on the boys side, I'd have to say it's between Sidney and Oneonta with Sidney the slight favorite," Howard said. "Oneonta has the most well-balanced team they've had in a long time. They could win."

Howard said he will use the Invitational to start preparing for the last couple of weeks of the regular season and the Center State Conference league meet, which Cooperstown will host on May 19.

"The league will come down to Mt. Markham, Sauquoit and us, and any of us could win it," Howard said. "We have some hidden point scorers who need to start showing themselves if we're going to win the league."